Tampa, FL (February 11, 2006) ? As the great baseball manager Yogi Berra once stated, “It's d?j? vu all over again.” This famous quote couldn't be truer than for the University of South Florida women's basketball team as it dropped its second heartbreaking loss to Pittsburgh, 60-58, in the final four seconds tonight at the Sun Dome.
Exactly like the first meeting with the Panthers on Jan. 8 in the “Steel City,” Malorie Winn broke the Bulls' hearts with a 15-foot jumper from straight on with four seconds remaining to clinch the win.
USF's Shantia Grace (Sarasota, FL) missed on what would have been a game-winning three-point shot with one second left, but the attempt went wide after getting knocked off balance as time expired.
The Bulls (16-9, 6-6 BIG EAST) had as much as a nine-point lead, 55-46, with 8:01 left in the game ? and seven point leads twice after that ? but couldn't put the Panthers away.
Pittsburgh would use a 12-3 run from the eight minute mark on to tie the game for the first time of the night at 58-all with 51 seconds left.
After a missed three-pointer by All-America candidate Jessica Dickson (Ocala, FL) with 29 seconds remaining, the Panthers' Xenia Stewart turned the ball over with 22 seconds left. Rachael Sheats (Marietta, GA) missed an off balance lay-up with 17 seconds left which led to Winn's game winning shot.
“When you are up by seven, 57-50, with five minutes left (5:42) at home and you get outscored, on your home floor 10-1, we had nine possessions at the end of the game and all we got were two free throws,” said USF head coach Jose Fernandez. “We didn't make shots, but at the same time, at the end of the game, you have to get some stops on the other end (of the floor). In game one they got 19 offensive rebounds against us. They got another 14 again today.”
USF didn't have much of an answer for Pitt's Marcedes Walker who finished the game with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Walker tallied 10 of her 23 points in the final 7:42 of the contest.
For the Bulls, Dickson, the nation's leading scorer, tallied 23 points in the loss while Grace notched 16 points, but only two in the second half.
USF will need to regroup and get ready for yet another key BIG EAST Conference match up when it faces former Conference USA foe Marquette on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Sun Dome.
For tickets or ticket information call the USF athletic ticket office at 1-800-GoBulls.
